Oh, this is rich: According to ads placed by the Democratic Governors Association, John Kasich and the Tea Party are using Karl Rove-style tactics and engaging in a deep, dark conspiracy “to steal elections through unfair redistricting” (no, I’m not linking to it) –

Tea Party devotees will be amused to see themselves mentioned in the same space as Karl Rove, who has done as much as anyone else I can name who is supposedly “on our side” to frustrate sensible conservatives from within during in the past seven years (e.g., supporting Arlen Specter over Pat Toomey in the 2004 Pennsylvania primary, comprehensive immigration reform aka amnesty, deliberately undercutting and refusing to support 2010 primary winners like Christine O’Donnell in Delaware, etc.). What’s almost as funny is the idea that “Tea Party Republicans” currently have anything more than minor influence on ORPINO (the Ohio Republican Party In Name Only).

To be clear, I’m not a big fan of opportunistic redistricting, otherwise known as gerrymandering. In an ideal world, every state would try to be like Iowa, which turns matters over to a impartial commission and organizes its districts almost logically.

But we don’t live in an ideal world. Instead, we live in one where hypocritical whiners in the DGA have member governors who gerrymander as blatantly as anyone on earth. Case in point: Governor Pat Quinn and his crew in Illinois:

If it isn’t clear, the light-blue area in the Chicagoland map on the right is all one congressional district. In certain spots, it’s no more than a block or two wide. Its shape barely differs from what it was from 2002-2010, when Pajamas Media blogger Zombie named it “The Most Gerrymandered District in the U.S.” In early 2006, yours truly identified the existence of this district as exemplifying “why voters are cynical.”

Illinois Democrats’ Congressional district map is so outrageously gerrymandered that even the establishment press has been forced to recognize what the party is doing:

Illinois governor signs election law favoring Democrats

Illinois Democratic Governor Pat Quinn signed into law on Friday a new congressional district map that could reverse gains Republicans made in the state in 2010 midterm elections.

Democrats were able to leverage their control of the General Assembly and a Democratic governor to approve a new election map for 2012 that analysts said could help Democrats win at least three more congressional seats in the state.

The effects of the law, which Republicans or third-party interest groups may challenge in court, would be to pit strong Republicans against each other, extend Chicago Democratic incumbent districts into suburban Republican districts, and incorporate new voter blocs into Republican strongholds.

Quinn denied that the redistricting was a partisan ploy by Democrats.

Employing the DGA’s language, Illinois Democrats are “stealing” three congressional seats, making Pat Quinn a bleeping liar. As long as Democratic-driven maps like those in Illinois exist, the party of the donkey should shut its collective (and collectivist) pie hole.

As long as states like Illinois do what they do, I’m not going to object to Ohio engaging in similar but less aggressive tactics. That said, I will issue an advisory to those in both parties who indulge in the practice, though as I see it, what I will assert currently applies more to Illinois Democrats than Ohio Republicans.

The idea of creating just a few districts which will be won overwhelmingly by the opposition party, while leaving the rest with hopefully manageable majorities for your own party, is usually effective in a stable political climate. But we’re not in a stable political climate. I submit that Illinois Democrats should be more concerned about sensible conservatives overcoming those theoretically comfortable Democratic majorities than Ohio Republicans need to be worried about losing redrawn districts which currently lean right.

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